City-States in Mesopotamia

Chapter 2 Sec. 1

2.1 Old Stone Age(1.2 reference info) Nomadic Hunter-gatherers Moved with weather & herds New tools= food supply = larger population

2.1 Neolithic Revolution Agricultural revolution Beginning of farming-shift from food search to

food producing. Slash & burn farming Domestication of animals= constant source of

food. Permanent settlements Increased populations Social changes

2.1 What is a Civilization? Definition: Complex culture with the following: 1. Advanced cities –large group living

together,& center of trade. 2. specialized workers –Trade, government

officials, priests, artisan, etc. 3. complex institutions –Government,

system of ruling, religion & type of economy. 4. record keeping – Need to keep records.

Ex: histories, taxes, religious events, laws, calendars, etc.

5. Science and Technology – fire, wheel, plow, irrigation, etc.

2.1 THE FERTILE CRESCENT

What is it? A crescent shaped

land between the Mediterranean and Persian Gulf that has rich soil for farming.

2.1 Mesopotamia The eastern part of the fertile crescent is where most people

lived Mesopotamia – “land between two rivers” Tigris and Euphrates River were very unpredictable and

flooded often Farmers built dams and ditches to channel the floods

2.1 Sumerians

Around 3500 B.C. arrived in Mesopotamia and lived in the city of Sumer

Set up 12 city states – walled cities with land surrounding for farming

Made temples called Ziggurats to worship gods – Priests only!

2.1 Sumerian Government

Times of war: Sumerians chose a general to have full control

- Military leaders eventually became full-time rulers or monarchs.

- Established dynasties: rulers passed power to their heirs.

Priests ruled/controlled the government.

2.1 Roles of Men and Women

Men – Had complete control over family Easy to divorce wife Could sell family into

slavery Women – Very hard to

get a divorce Could buy and sell

property Could own a business

2.1 Writing

Cuneiform – oldest system of writing in the world

Deities: Polytheistic – belief in 3,000 gods & a horrible afterlife.

Believed gods didn’t care about them and they did not look forward to the afterlife

2.1 Inventions

The Arch Wagon wheel Potters wheel Sundial to keep time 12 month calendar Metal plow

2.1 First Mesopotamian Empires By 2000 B.C. Sumerian city states fell to

invaders Sargon I - established a kingdom called

Akkad in northern Mesopotamia United all city states under him and launched a

military campaign Established the worlds first empire.

2.1 Hammurabi

Hammurabi – leader of the Amorites who strived to make Mesopotamia rich and have an organized government

Capital – Babylon – great for trade with China and India

2.1 Hammurabi's Code

First ever written law! 282 sections that dealt

with everyday crime Hammurabi’s law was

based on the bible’s “an eye for an eye”

2.1 Examples of Hammurabi's Code

If a man steals from another and is caught, the thief must return the item and also have his hands chopped off.

If a man builds a house for another person and the house collapses and kills a family member, the house builder must give up a family member to be executed.

If a man kills another mans son, the killer must give up his own son to be killed.

2.1 Social Class

1. Kings, Priests, Nobles 2. Artisans, Merchants,

Farmers and Scribes 3. Slaves All laws varied according

to what class you were in

2.1 Decline of Hammurabi

After Hammurabi’s death in 1600 – the Babylonian empire declined

Babylonians were invaded by the Hittites of Asia Minor who demolished the city

INDUS RIVER VALLEY CIVILIZATION CHAPTER 2 SECTION 3

INDUS RIVER VALLEY CIVILIZATIONS Barriers: Bay of Bengal to the

east and Arabian Sea to the west

2 mountain ranges in north (Himalaya’s and Hindu Kush)

Indus River flows through the land

CLIMATE

Monsoons – heavy gusts of wind and torrential down pour of rain

Monsoons were unpredictable and killed many people, animals and crops

Major Cities

Mohenjo-Daro- a grid patterned city with an extensive plumbing system

Harappa – built well crafted brick houses that had bathrooms and chutes to take waste below the city

Records and Religion Language – inscribed

pictograms on traded goods – yet to be deciphered

Religion – Don’t know much, but believed to be polytheistic and worshiped gods with natural forces

Where Did They Go?!?

Theory #1 – Killed off by an invasion

Theory #2 – Devastating flood wiped them out

EARLY CHINA CIVILIZATION CHAPTER 2 SECT.4

GEOGRAPHY

1/3 of China is made up of mountains Himalayan mountains on S.W. side

In the north lies the Gobi Desert

Pacific Ocean - East

MAJOR RIVERS

Huang He “the Great Sorrow”

Chang Jiang Yangtze Xi Jiang Controlled flooding

and snow melt from the mountains make for rich agriculture

People began living in China along these rivers beginning in 2500 B.C.

RELIGION Kings would go to

priests to find answers Priests would scratch

the question on a oracle bone

Next, they would apply heat until it cracked

Priest would then study the crack for an answer

Spirits of family ancestors brought good/bad

Polytheistic society

WRITING

Writing on oracle bones

Used character script as well 100 characters = literate 10,000 characters =

scholar

SOCIAL STRUCTURE / POWER AND AUTHORITY 1) Kings, warrior nobles 2) peasants Authority = Feudalism

and the Mandate of Heaven

ANCIENT CHINESE WEAPONS

Perfected bronze metal to make weapons

Fine knives and swords

Zhou Dynasty invented the blast furnace – made cast iron weapons

ACHIEVEMENTS The great city of Anyang

Had elaborate temples, buildings and homes

Panlongcheng – great trade city

Carved statues and figures out of jade and ivory - trade

Perfected the cloth silk, and the art of pottery Both were excellent for trade all

around the world Coined own money for trade Built canals and roads for

trade

EXPANSION AND

DECLINE Shang Dynasty – took

over China with bronze weapons and chariots, but lacked strong leaders – overthrown

Zhou Dynasty – took over after the Shang and ruled from 1000 B.C. to 200 B.C.

END OF CHAPTER 2QUESTIONS?